The Return Of The Scarecrow
by Graysongirl1
Summary: Scarecrow - Out of Arkham and out for revenge! With his son and his city on the line what will Batman do... Will Gotham fall to fear?
1. Chapter 1

"Batman!" Nigthwing hissed under his breath as the large dark figure jumped off the shipping crate, using his cape to glide down into the middle of the gathering below. I hate it when he does that, Nightwing thought to himself as he launched off the tin crate. He summersaulted in the air and gracefully landed beside batman in the middle of the drug deal tacking place on the docks of Gotham harbour.

All the hired henchmen aimed there weapons at the two vigilantes who had just crashed the party. "You guys just never learn do you?" Nightwing taunted, as he reached behind his head and grasped his two eskrima sticks, he then expertly twisted them around his figures, Wild West style.

One of the dealers spoke up, "See bird-boy that's where you're wrong". He reached a hand down to his belt and lifted off what looked to be a grenade. "A gift from an old friend" he said, bringing the grenade out into full view. He then opened his mouth to say more, but Batman had heard enough, he lunged for the man with the grenade. But was spear tackled in mid-air by one of the dealer's henchmen, they fell to the ground in a heap and started grappling.

Catching the memo, Nightwing let lose, side kicking one of the henchmen in the head knocking him out cold. He then dodged the oncoming shower of bullets and slammed another man up against one of the metal crates winding him.

He then proceeded to use his eskrima sticks to take down another handful of trigger-happy henchmen, while batman talked persuasion with his fists.

While Batman and Nightwing were occupied fighting off his henchmen the dealer pulled the pin on the grenade and threw it into the midst of the fray. "The Scarecrow says hi" he said simply, he then turned and vanished into the shadows with a devilish grin plastered to his face.

The grenade landed on the ground in the middle of the fighting and rolled next to Nightwing's foot, "What the….. Batman, Grenade!" he yelled.

Nightwing was about to kick it away when it exploded, releasing a white gas. The white cloud grew, obscuring all sight. Nightwing coughed as he inhaled, it burned his throat, chocking him. His eyes watered and he couldn't see. Batman used his cape to cover his nose and mouth as he searched through the thick white cloud for his partner.

Nightwing Stumbled back as his vision cleared a little, he tried to walk but tripped and fell over what must have been one of the henchmen. He sat up and looked at the face of the man he had just tripped over and did his best not to scream. The man he had tripped over was his father! And the body lying next to him is mother! They were in their Flying Grayson's costumes, the ones they wore on the night they died. Their lifeless, bloodied faces looked up at him.

"You failed us Dick" they said in eerie non-human voices "It's your fault we're dead".

"No!" Nightwing screamed

His vision went all blurry again and he heard voices….

"Failure! Disappointment! Murderer!" they screamed in his ears. But the worse was the sound of the Joker's insane sadistic laugh.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The world spun and Nightwing collapsed in a fit on the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

**_I'd like to say thanks to JoinTheParty13, ZigZaggy and connergirl1 for reviewing my story, and to everyone else who is following it, you guys made my day! :)  
Please feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think of chapter 2, it would be most appreciated!  
- Graysongirl1 _**

**Chapter 2 – Old Fears**

The salty sea breeze picked up in the harbour of Gotham City, helping clear away the ghostly cloud that had settled on the docks. Batman now being able to see and breathe got a visual on Nightwing. He was on the ground curled up in a ball, thrashing around as though the ground swarmed with fire ants. Batman ran to his partner's side.

"Nightwing?" he asked, as he placed a hand on Nightwing's shoulder and gently turned Nightwing to face him. He got no response, Nightwing looked straight through him like he didn't exist.

"No!" Nightwing screamed, starling Batman. Nightwing then outstretched his hand as if to catch someone, "No, I didn't mean it" he continued, tears streamed down his face from under his domino mask.

"Nightwing" Batman said again panic seeping into his voice as he grabbed his son's face, trying to obtain his attention.

"The gas…" Batman wondered aloud, "No, no it couldn't be" he said shaking his head, but the seed of doubt was already implanted in his mind.

Batman wrapped his arm around Nightwing's waist and fired his grapple gun on top of one of the large shipping crates. The two were pulled up into the air; Batman then gentle placed Nightwing on the crate and preceded to contact Alfred.

"Alfred?" Batman asked impatiently, eager to get Nightwing home to the cave as quick as possible.

"Yes Master Bruce?" Alfred's voice replied into Batman's ear.

"We're going to need a ride, and fast" Batman said.

"Of course Master Bruce, I have your coordinates, ETA 12 minutes" Alfred replied sounding slightly flustered.

"Thank you Alfred" Batman whispered.

Nightwing tossed and turned, unaware that the nightmares living out before his eyes, of his parents falling to their deaths was induced by the toxic gas he had inhaled. To him the nightmares were as real as ever. They replayed over and over again, the ropes snapping, his parent's screams, and their slow descent into darkness. He helplessly watched, silent tears rolling down his face.

Nightwing was in such as state he didn't realize he was back in the Bat cave. Batman gently placed him on the med bay bed and removed the top half of his suit, revealing the upper part of Nightwing's body. Batman injected a needle into Nightwing's arm and retrieved a blood sample. Alfred appeared at Batman's side.

"Alfred can you run some tests on this focusing on any foreign chemicals in the blood" Batman asked, handing Alfred the blood sample.

Alfred nodded and took the sample in his hand as he rushed off to run the tests. Nightwing tossed and turned on the bed, mumbling incoherently. Batman carefully, so not to hurt him placed restraints around his wrists to keep him in place. He then removed his cowl to reveal his face.

"Dick?" he asked softly in the voice of Bruce Wayne, not in the gruff voice of Batman. He got no response.

"Master Bruce!" he heard Alfred call, fear lacing his voice as he ran from the computer base part of the cave down to the med bay. "Master Bruce, Master Richard's blood sample shows traces of the chemicals used in Doctor Jonathan Crane's hallucinogen toxin" Alfred continued, worry etched into every line on his face.

"But Dr Crane is secured in Arkham, and all of his hallucinogen gas and experiments taken into quarantine" Bruce said. He then turned away deep in thought, "Unless someone has successfully recreated his fear gas, I'd bet the Scarecrow has escaped from Arkham" Bruce said as he felt a sense of impending doom settle upon him.

The last time the Scarecrow had been at large in Gotham, he nearly infected the whole city with his fear gas. Bruce feared what he had in stall this time round. Bruce shook his head not allowing himself to jump to conclusions, he didn't even know if Dr Crane had in fact escaped Arkham Asylum.

"Alfred" he turned around to face his butler, "please contact Lucius Fox and inform him that we will be needing the antidote for Dr Crane's hallucinogen toxin" Bruce said placing a hand on Nightwing's forehead. "As quickly as possible" he added just as Alfred turned to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sorry it's been a while since I updated but I've been busy with school, this chapter is a little longer as requested with a bit of Dick/Babs fluff. Please read and review it's much appreciated J**_

_- __**Graysongirl1**_

**Chapter 3 – Awake**

Dick woke up slowly, his head was swimming and his vision was blurred, he blinked a few times to clear away the fog. He looked around, he was in the cave's med bay.

"Hey sleepy head" said a familiar voice. Dick turned his head slowly to the side, sitting in a chair situated next to his bed was a beautiful girl with fiery red hair. Since the day they had first met as kids, Dick had always thought she was attractive, he just never mentioned it.

"Hey Babs" he returned, noticing how much it hurt to talk, the words had scratched at his raw throat and he began to cough violently. Alarmed Barbara grabbed the glass of water from his bedside table and handed it to him. He drank the whole glass mentally sighing as the water extinguished the fire in his throat.

"Are you alright?" Barbara asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. He nodded but didn't talk again. Why does my throat hurt? And why am I in the med bay? He questioned himself. Just then the memories of the previous night's events all flooded back to him. The images ripped through his mind once again, wearing down his defenses. He fought back tears that threatened to make themselves known.

"Babs they were there" he said hoarsely. She instantly wrapped her arms around him, she knew exactly what he was talking about. When Bruce had called her and explained that Dick had been infected by the Scarecrow's fear gas, she had no doubt about what his hallucinations would be about.

"It's ok Dick, it wasn't real" she said as she held him, he was really fighting the tears now, he didn't want Barbara to see him cry, he didn't want her to think less of him or see him this way, he cared for her too much.

He moved over and made room for her on the bed, sensing his intentions she kicked off her boots and tucked her legs under the blankets. They both snuggled into each other, she placed an arm around him and held him tight, they sat there for a while until he was able to talk.

"They were there Babs, my parents, they blamed me for their deaths, it was so real" Dick said, almost choking on the words.

"You know the effects of the Scarecrow's gas Dick, it wasn't real, you're not responsible" she said, stoking the hair out of his eyes, and tracing his cheekbones with her figures.

"But…. I didn't get to them in time Babs, I could have saved them….. I could have warned them" his words were shaky and his bottom lip began to quiver.

"You did everything you could Dick" she reasoned.

He bit his bottom lip, annoyed at his body for betraying his emotions.

Barbara couldn't stand to see Dick like this, he was so beaten and broken in spirit, she was used to him being her rock. It was strange to have the roles reversed, he was usually so strong and barely showed his true feelings.

They were both interrupted from their somber thoughts by a quiet tap at the door. The door opened silently and Bruce's head popped through. He was slightly taken back by the sight of the two in bed together, but was happy to see Dick conscious. Dick had been out for quite a while and Bruce had been worried about him, the results of the fear gas had showed different mixtures of the chemical compounds in the gas. The gas had been altered and enhanced, he didn't know what the effects would be, or how long they would last.

He smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes, "How are you feeling?" he asked.

Dick smiled half-heartedly at his adopted father, "ok" was all he could manage without his voice shaking. Barbara sensed that Bruce wanted to speak to Dick alone, she gave Dick a gentle kiss on the cheek and untangled herself from the blankets and his embrace. Dick looked at her pouting childishly, implying that he didn't want her to leave. She smirked at him as she slipped her boots back on and walked out the door, getting a subtle nod of thanks from Bruce as she walked out.

"So the Scarecrow's back huh?" Dick asked eyeing is father expectantly.

"I'm not sure, it could be a copycat" said Bruce.

"Could he have escaped from Arkham?" Dick asked.

"It's possible" Bruce said bluntly.

Dick looked away deep in thought, it was scary to think that any villain Bruce and he had locked up may be able to escape from Arkham.

"Dick" Bruce began, "If you want to talk about it…"

"No" Dick cut him off, "I'm fine" he lied, he didn't want to talk, he just wanted to move on. Bruce doubted Dick's words very much, but let it slide for the time being.

Dick studied the ordinary white wall of the med bay with great interest, waiting for the topic of conversation to change. Bruce sensed his son's discomfort and thought it best if he left for the time being.

"You're free to leave whenever you wish, Alfred believes the toxin has been cleared from your system" Bruce said as he opened the door.

"But it would be nice if you stuck around for a while" he added, with a smile, making eye contact with Dick before he turned and left closing the door behind him.

Dick thought about returning to Bludhaven, but he liked it at the manor with his family, maybe he would stick around. For a while anyway.


End file.
